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Claims Mount in the South, Will Continue into the Weekend

State Farm® Sets up Mobile Catastrophe Response Sites

April 29, 2011- Initial assessments by State Farm® indicate close to 15,000 home and auto claims connected to Wednesday's severe weather from Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. These states were the hardest hit by Wednesday's tornadoes. Claims numbers continue to rise.

AL Total Claims - 11,203

GA Total Claims - 1,871

MS Total Claims - 1,338

“Though high, the raw number of claims alone for the region does not fully capture the severity of this storm. In this case we are seeing many instances where people have lost everything,” said State Farm spokesman Justin Tomczak. "State Farm will take care of our customers' needs as quickly as possible. We anticipate the number of claims to continue rising as residents are able to return to their homes and businesses,” he said. Due to security concerns, many residents are only now being allowed back into the impacted areas by local law enforcement.

State Farm already has additional resources in the state inspecting damage, assisting agents, and taking care of policyholders. The company has set up drive in claims facilities to assist policyholders. Customers are asked to call first to make an appointment at (800) 732-5246.

Location	Address
Lowes of Cullman	1717 Cherokee Avenue S.W. Cullman, AL
Lowes of Tuscaloosa	4900 Oscar Baxter Drive Tuscaloosa, AL
Lowes of Bessemer	1201 19th St N Bessemer, AL
Lowes of Fultondale	1335 Walker Chapel Road Fultondale, AL
Huntsville Claims Office	251 Chateau Drive Huntsville, AL
Lowes of Ft. Oglethorpe	2215 Battlefield Pkwy Ft. Oglethorpe (RINGGOLD), GA
Lowes of Rome	2338 Shorter Ave NW Rome, GA

“We offer our heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by these tornadoes, especially those who have lost loved ones. We are also greatly concerned for the safety of everyone in the affected areas,” said Tomczak.
State Farm policyholders are asked to call their agent or 1-(800)-SF-CLAIM (1-800-732-5246) in order to report damage. They can also visit www.statefarm.com.

Helpful Information:

• Work with your insurance agent or claims adjustor to fully understand the claims process.
• Choose a reputable roofing contractor. Look for a licensed or bonded roofer and request references. Not all jurisdictions require licensing of roofing contractors. Ask to see certificates of insurance to be sure both liability and workers compensation insurance coverage is carried, and are in force during the time the roofing work is being done.
• You may also contact your local Better Business Bureau or the National Roofing Contractors Association for assistance in locating a professional contractor in a specific geographic area.
• If anyone visits your home without an appointment and professes to represent your insurer, or to be there at the request of your insurer, ask for identification and contact your insurer to confirm before allowing access.
• State Farm customers who have reported a loss can expect to be contacted by a claim representative who will review your policy and explain your coverage, outline the claim process and answer questions.

Contact

AL:
Roszell Gadson, State Farm Insurance, (770) 418-5940.

David Majors, State Farm Insurance, (205) 916-6098.

Emily Clark, State Farm Insurance, (334) 677-1516.

MS:
Susan Lamey, State Farm Insurance, (601) 672-9793.

GA:
Justin Tomczak, State Farm Insurance, (770) 362-3957.

About State Farm®

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Our 17,800 agents and more than 66,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.